Amalgamating apparatus



No. slams. Patented Feb. 7, |899.

v. nAnsoN. y AMALGMATING APPARATUS.

(Application Bled Sept. 89, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(llo lndel.)

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ATTORNEYS o, WASHINGTON, u. c

N0. 6|8,938. Patentod Feb. 7, |899.

V. HANSUN. v

AIAALsAuATme APPARATUS.

(Appliclvn 81nd Spt. 29, 1897.)

2 Shasta-Shoot 2.

(No Model.)

/N VEN TOR l/C Tof? #A M50/v W/TNESSES A TTOHNEYS wa mmm PETERS co, Morciano, wnmmou u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR IIANSON, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T() JAMES G. VVIIITLOCK, OF HANOVER COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,938, dated February 7, 1899.

Application filed September 29, 1897. Serial No. 653,505. (No modeld T0 @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, VICTOR HANsoN, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Amalgamating Apparatus, of which the following is a specication.

This invention, which relates generally to mining apparatus, refers more particularly to a combined ejector or hoist means and amalgamating devices of a very simple and economical nature, which can be easily manipulated and which will effectively serve for their intended purposes; and such invention consists in the peculiar construction, novel combination, and arrangement of parts, such as will be iirst described in detail, and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved mining apparatus, parts being in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the riiiie-trough, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of hoist for lifting the spoil to the rile-box. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View of the pivotally-mounted dead-water vat. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the removable washer. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the cap-plate. Fig. 10 is a detail View of the removable cap. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the rotary digger.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals and letters indicate like parts in all the figures, 1 indicates the amalga- Inating or collecting portion of my improved mining apparatus, which consists of an upper and lower riflie-box 1? and 2, which incline downward in reverse directions and connect in the manner presently more fully described. The boxes 1ft and 2 are each formed of a plank bottom 3 and sides 8, the front or feed end of the upper box being open to receive the discharge end of the hoist-pipe 20 or sluice-box. The bottom 3 of each riflle-box has a series of concave transverse grooves 5, in which seat the mercury-pipes G, the ends of which project beyond the sides 3 to receive the unions C G, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, which serve to securely hold the sides and bottom planks clamped together. Each pipe G has an inlet-pipe 7 provided with a valve 7a, and such inlet-pipes 7 are suitably connected to a feed-pipe 8, which connects at one end to a feeder-trough 9. Each of the pipes 6 is cut away at the top at points between the sides 3 3 of the boxes, so as to produce a seriesof transverse troughs 10, the lower edges 10 of which project in practice about one-fourth of an inch above the bottom plank 3, (see Fig. 4,) which produces riiles at the troughs 10, so that when the Water and sand strike such edges 10a a reaction or rotary motion is effected which keeps sand in motion, and thereby causes the mineral to come in contact with the mercury held in the troughs, while the larger particles rise over the rifiies and pass off with the water-current. The outer ends of the pipes have valved discharge-nozzles 11, which empty into strainers 11 11, secured to the adjacent side of the box, and which consist each of an oblong box 12, having a strainer-cloth 121L or other suitable foraminous material at the top, the upper strainer 1l* emptying into the lower strainer 1lb, which in turn discharges into a collecti Iig-trough 13.

So far as described it will be readily seen that the supply of mercury7 to the different riffle-troughs can be regulated at will and the mixed mercury and amalgam drawn olf from the troughs 10 and discharged into the strainers, it being obvious that the amalgam will be caught by the straining-cloth, while the Quicksilver passes through into the strainerboxes and down into collecting-trough 13, from whence the Quicksilver, together with such fine gold as Inay have passed through the strainer-cloth, is dipped back into the feeder-trough. In practice the supply-pipe is kept filled with quicksilver, so that when the riflie-troughs are emptied a new supply is always on hand, thereby making it unneces- Sary to wait for filtration.

The discharge end of the upper rillle-box terminates in a grating 15, through which the current-water and liner particles pass onto the receiving end of the lower rifile-box, the larger particles-stones and boulders passing over such end onto a dump-chute 16. The current-water, with the grosser material, after leaving the bottom riiile-box empties IOO into a collecting-vat 18, in which is held still water, which allows the fine flour-gold to settle therein.

The dead-water tank has an overflow-pipe 18 at the side opposite the inlet side, which empties into a water-tank l), which in practice has a suitable feed or supply pipe provided with a suitable automatic valve. (Not shown.) The dead-water tank is of such a width in the direction of the flow of material from the ritile-boxes that there will be no perceptible current to carry the fine mineral over the discharge end with the boulders and refuse material, which dumps between the dead and feed water tanks. 2O indicates a pump of any suitable character, which has a suction pipe or pipes 2l projected into the feedwater tank. 22 indicates the discharge or force pipe of the pump, which in the form shown in Fig. l connects with a union member 23, having a reduced nozzle 24, which ejects the pump-flow over the inlet-opening 25, with which connects a lift-pipe, through which the sand or spoil is raised by suction into the lift-pipe 2G, which discharges into the feed end of the upper riflie-box, as shown. ly this arrangement of parts it is manifest the water forced out by the pump is ejected through the nozzle 2l with sufficient force to raise the spoil from a sluiceway orsand-bank. It will be also readily seen that the watercurrent which passes over the riflle is carriedv back into the water-feed tank, from which it is again drawn out by the pump, forced through the ejector, back over the riftles, thereby continuously using the same water or as much thereof as is necessary to keep up the necessary water-supply to accomplish the desired results. Vhile I prefer to combine the amalgamator portion of the apparatus with a force-lift, as described, such amalgamator under certain conditions may be used in conjunction with an ordinary sluiceway, and the latter will then be arranged to empty into the upper riille-box, as will be readily understood. \Vhen thus used, the dead-water vat is preferably supported upon a pivotal bearing, as indicated in Fig. l, and has connected therewith an eccentric rocker-disk 28, mounted on a shaft having suitable drive connections. (Not shown.) In this latter form the dead-water vat has its bottom provided with a series of pockets or flutes 29 for the quicksilver and line mineral to lodge in during the vibration of the vat.

In Figs. 5 and 0 I have shown a modied form of lift and ejector means for lifting and feeding the spoil from a sluice or for serving as a sand pump or dredge, and such construction comprises a force-pipe I, having a pendent branch I, provided with a valve L, which terminates at the bottom in an ejector-nozzle E, which discharges into the lift-pipe I2, past the suction-opening M, to which the sluiceway or hopper feeds. The upper end of the pipe I2 terminates in a discharge pipe J, which leads the material to either the amalgamator or other separating means. Vhen the conditions are such that the pipe I2 must be of considerable length, greater than the ejector E can successfully lift the spoil, such pipe I;2 is also connected with pipe J by a supplemental pipe I3, having an ejector-nozzle E and a valve L'. The lower end of pipe I2 has an annular flange II to receive a detachable section, in the lower end of which is journaled a rotary digger G, the shaft of which has a drive-pulley g to receive the drive-belt g', driven by counter-shaft g2. K indicates a cap-plate adapted to be fitted on the flange of section 1I when the digger is removed. D indicates a washer which is secured over the nozzle E, when the lift is used to take up through the suction-opening M, to prevent any of the material dropping out at the bottom. When the digger is used, the washer D is removed and the suction-opening is held covered by the cap ll. \Vhen the latter form of lift devices is used and the pipe I2 is of a short section, the valve L is closed and the ejection eected through the water force passing through nozzle E. Then the force passing through such nozzle is insufficient to raise the spoil, the valve L is opened to allow a part of the water force to pass through nozzle E.

In practice the pipe I is connected to the pump by a suitable universal joint to admit of the lower end being placed at any direction from the pump.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete operation and the advantages of my invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An apparatus of the class described,com prisin g the upper and lower reversely-inclined rifiie-boxes, transverse troughs having discharge-nozzles outside of the box, the reversely-inclined strainers located outside of the riffle-boxes and extending longitudinally of the same and arranged beneath the discharge-nozzles, a collecting-chamber located at the lower end of the lower strainer, a tank receiving the water from the lower rifile-box, a pump located above the tank and havinga take-up pipe extending into the same, a feedpipe depending from the pump, and a liftpipe extending from the feed-pipe to the upper riffle-box, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus of the class described,com prising the upper and lower oppositely-inclined rifile-boxes, transverse troughs having discharge-nozzles outside of the boxes, the strainers located outside of the boxes and extending longitudinally of the same at an inclination and arranged beneath the dischargenozzles, a collecting-chamber located at the lower end of the lower strainer, a vat receiving the water from the lower riffle-box, a dead- IOO IIO

Water tank having an overoW-pipe connected with the vat, a pump having a depending take-up pipe extending into the tank, a feedpipe depending from the pump, and a liftpipe extending from the feed-pipe to the upper rifIle-box, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a rifIie-box having a flat inclined bottom with transverse seats, a series of transverse pipes arranged at intervals and held on such seats and projected through the sides of the box, one end having valved inlets, the other valved discharge-nozzles, said pipes having their upper faces cutaway to form troughs, the edges being projected above the bottom of the box at the lower sides of the troughs to agitate the water, a mercury-feed common to all the inlet ends, and a longitudinal strainer located outside of the box and arranged beneath the discharge-nozzlcs, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a riillebox, a series of transverse troughs having discharge-nozzles outside of the box, a strainer located outside of the box and extending longitudinally of the same at an inclination and arranged beneath the discharge-nozzles, and a collecting-chamber located at the lower end of the strainer substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an inclined rifle-box, a scries of troughs having exterior discharge-nozzles at one side of the box, a mercury-feed trough located at the other side of the box and connected with the said troughs, an inclined longitudinal strainer arranged outside of the box at one side thereof beneath the nozzles and composed of an oblong box provided with a foraminous top, anda collectingchamber at the lower end of the strainer substantially as described.

VICTOR IIANSON.

Vitnesses:

R. W. CorFER, J. G. WHITLocK. 

